The Duncan Banner emailed some questions to all the candidates running for political office that members of Stephens County will be voting on Nov. 4. What follows is this candidate's responses to these questions.



Questions for Daisy Lawler, Democrat candidate for Oklahoma State Representative for District No. 50:



1) What qualifications do you have for the position?

I am the candidate with the most experience as a legislator. I was chair of Select Agencies for the first 2 years and the first woman chair of the Senate Agriculture and Rural Development Committee for the next two years. I own a ranching business and taught school for 28 years. Since District #50 is very rural, it is important that the representative have experience in rural issues. I served on the Education Subcommittee as Vice-chair. Education is 54% of the state budget; therefore, it is important to have knowledge of the needs and issues impacting education.



I had the opportunity to author and pass over 30 bills into law. I have a history of working across the isle with Republicans to get legislation passed. Serving in the Senate, gives me an advantage working with Senators. I have a strong work ethic and a passion to serve the people through my faith and family values.



2) Why are you running for the position?

I have a desire to serve the people of District #50. People had asked me to enter the race for some time. In May when I read an article in the Banner referring to class sets of books instead of a book for each child, it troubled me deeply. I have three grandchildren in high school. I want them to have every opportunity to learn to the best of their ability and not having books to take home is just wrong. This affects my grandchildren and your children. When I read that the House of Representatives had spent 1.6 million on new office furniture, I knew that they had their priorities wrong. Then for the present representative to vote to create two new state agencies while we needed funding for healthcare, roads and bridges, safety, and education gave me another reason to enter the race.



I will seek solutions to make healthcare more affordable, dedicate more dollars to roads and bridges, work to fund the classrooms adequately, ensure the volunteer firefighters get needed equipment and promote job and economic growth.



3) What is the most important issue to you and how will you work to alleviate the problem if elected?

There are many important issues. Whatever affects my district is the most important issue. As I visit with citizens, the economy is an important issue. The cost of fuel affects everyone in many different ways. District #50 is an energy producer with gas as well as oil. We need to redirect our dependence from foreign oil to Oklahoma gas and oil, built or expand refineries and use wind power. This will not only create jobs but also reduce energy cost.



Education is the engine that drives the economy. I will work to reduce the dropout rate, continue working to enable student to further their education, and support the career tech system to provide businesses a prepared workforce.



I will continue working for more affordable healthcare as I have in the past with the Insure Oklahoma program for small businesses. Reducing wasted taxpayer dollars and using new technologies to make healthcare more efficient is my goal.



4) Do you stand with your party affiliation on the issues of abortion and marriage? Why?



My party does not demand allegiance to it. This is a personal faith issue with me and I use my faith as a measure of right and wrong.

During my four years as State Senator, I was the Senate author of the most significant Pro-Life legislation ever passed into law in Oklahoma (HB 1686) with another Democrat in the House. I also author SJR 46, the marriage initiative to strengthen traditional marriages of one man and one woman.



In Oklahoma, our strong Christian values have pulled us through the toughest of times and those values are deeply woven into the fabric of our lives. My husband and I have been married for 47 years and he is a deacon in New Hope Baptist Church.

Although not ask, I co-authored the bill to put “IN GOD WE TRUST’ in the classrooms and legislation to put faith-based programs in our prisons. I co-authored legislation that protects families of our fallen soldiers from the out of state extremists who protest at funeral



5) Would you ever cross party lines in a voting session? Why?



I assume you are referring to voting on legislation. The answer is yes. My party does not tell legislators how to vote. Democrats do not twist arms. I have never been threatened or felt intimidated by my party to vote a certain way. I also worked with Republicans in House or in the future Senate authors to get legislation passed. I have and will vote according to what would be good for my District.



6) Are you for or against Tort Reform? Why?



I voted for the Tort Reform bill that passed while in the Senate and authored the Common Sense Consumption Act, which would reduce frivolous lawsuits. I am for good legislation that helps the people in my district.



7) With the ever increasing costs for construction materials, road construction/maintenance costs are increasing exponentially, what can be done to alleviate the problem? In other words, can the number of road projects remain steady or will the number of projects need to decrease yearly unless taxes are raised?



During the time I served in the legislature, I voted to fund the largest investment in roads and bridges in the history of our state. It was passed by bipartisan support. I believe this is the way to get roads and bridges funded. When elected, I will continue the fight for funding.

This needs to be a priority at the capitol because it is a safety issue that affects all Oklahoman. State legislators must find ways to increase funds for roads and bridges. Oklahoma depends on the federal government for 60 percent funding on the projects. The current legislators voted for $300 million bonds going to an eight year maintenance plan for state highways: however, because of economic downturn, a buyer for the bonds is difficult to find.



Recently a $4 billion program to improve roads and replace 449 deficient bridges road projects was approved. So presently construction plans are on schedule.



8) Oklahoma has a prison capacity of about 25,000. We stay filled at between 96% and 98% yearly, which is well into overcrowded status. What is the answer for prison overcrowding in Oklahoma and how will you work to alleviate the problem? Do you think taxes need to be raised to solve the (any) problem?

9) Recidivism is measured as the percentage of all prisoners within a given year who return to incarceration within three years. For fiscal year 2005, the recidivism rate is 27.8%. What will you do to lower that percentage?



I believe questions 8 & 9 need to be answered together.



The legislature paid for a million dollar audit, which called Oklahoma’s prison system one of the most dilapidated, violent, and under funded correctional systems around.



None of the reports 141 recommendations were put in affect by the legislature.



The Corrections ‘09 budget was further cut by 4 million dollars even though the population increased by 500. I believe implementation of some recommendations of the audit would be a good start.



I believe positive steps would be to help citizen be productive by working to create more jobs, treating those with mental illnesses early (3/4 of mental illness begins before age 24) and give more attention to the at risk children in the educational system.



When in the Senate, I authored bills to put faith-based programs in the prisons and a pilot reading program in prison. Both have been successful. I worked to get more career tech programs in the women’s prison. Most of the women have children and need to have an employable skill when released from prison to reunite their family and be a productive citizen.



I believe through improving reading ability, skills training, and recommended programs along with faith based programs recidivism can by reduced.



Drug court and mental health courts are also proving effective to reduce cost.



Oklahoma has the greatest percentage of severely mentally ill people of any state. Over one third of the nonviolent prison population suffers from a mental illness, which if addressed early may have prevented incarceration and a lowering of the prison population. If more communities established outreach services and crisis beds then fewer jails and prisons would bear the burden of housing people with mental illness.



If jails and prison were better equipped to treat those with mental illness, they could reduce recidivism. We need to remember that if this problem is not addressed the prison population is thought to increase to 29,000 in eight years. Education, mental health intervention, job skills, and community involvement are all areas that are needed to reduce recidivism.



10) What have been some “positives” that have happened during your campaigning?

I’ve really enjoyed meeting people and listening to the issues. I have walked most of The district with my husband’s help and it has been great. The people are receptive and have positive things to say. They have called and ask for signs and volunteered to help.



I have a history of helping people so I think they feel comfortable with me and know I am running to serve the people. I have several issues that will be drafted in to bills when elected that come directly from the people during this campaign. I have felt from the beginning that this is God’s plan for me and that He has supplied my needs to accomplish the goal of being State Representative.



11) How can we make public schools better?

Oklahoma has great teachers. They give extra time and their money to help the students. The teacher should be supplied the tools to teach and given the time to work with the students. The schools lack funding for books, technology and in some cases transportation (fuel) for students to get to school.



There is need for counselors to have more time to work one on one with students instead of giving so many tests. The gangs, bullying and the dropout issue are all problems that need to be addressed. This is not just a school issue. It is a family and community issue. Businesses, churches, schools, social services, law enforcement and others need to come together and discuss what can be done to solve this issue. Then action needs to be taken either legislative or implement ideas in the community with community support.